Elastic band gun with cap exploder



y 7, 1955 s. E. TUFTS ELASTIC BAND GUN WITH CAP EXPLODER Filed June 20, 1952 fi venizar Gear E. Tufts Ailorney l 2,768,429 ELASTIC BAND GUN WITH CAP EXPLQDER George E. Tufts, Braintrce, Mass. Application lune 29, 1952, Serial No. 294,555 1 Claim. (til. 124-2) This invention relates to a target gun, and especially one that simultaneously explodes a percussion cap and shoots a missile.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a toy gun that will shoot a missile substantially accurate and also explode a percussion cap at it shoots to create the impression the explosion shot the missile.

Another object is to provide such an invention that is safe for a child to use, yet may be enjoyably used by adults, because of its accuracy, in shooting at targets.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a missile used with my gun.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of my target gun, showing position of the missile when ready to leave the gun.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of end portion of the gun barrel, partly in section, showing the elastic tail fastened to said barrel.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of my target gun, showing position of the missile just after it has left the missile chamber.

Fi ure 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevational view of my gun, partly in section, showing the actuating mechanism in normal position, ready for actuation.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the gun barrel front end.

As illustrated, I provide a missile l which may be a ball of sponge rubber or other soft material, so it will not damage any object struck. A tail 2 of elastic material is attached to the missile, which may be a strip of rubber such as rubber bands are made of, with a loop 3 formed at one end.

My gun has an elongate barrel 4 mounted on a gun body B, along the top of which barrel a groove 5 is formed, while at the front end of the barrel a knob 6 is provided over which said loop 3 is placed.

The actuating mechanism of my gun has a pull trigger 7, having a lower guard 8 attached to the gun by screws 9. A tension spring 19 is attached to the trigger '7 at one end which spring extends through an opening 11 in the gun body B, being attached at the other end by a screw 12 to said gun body at the end of said opening 11. Drawing of said trigger 7 rearwardly increases the tension of said spring 10.

A pivot pin 13 fixed in said gun body pivotally mounts an actuating lever to the gun body. Said lever has a downwardly bent portion at its forward end.

A pin or bolt 14 is fixedly attached to the rear end portion of said lever 15, and it slidably moves in an arcuate slot 24 provided in said gun body, later described, when said lever 15 is actuated. A coil spring 16 extends into an opening in and bears against said gun body B and it also bears against said lever 15 at one end, being normally under tension. When said lever is rethe forward 2,798,429 Patented R ley 1?, i955 2 leased the tension of this spring 16 accentuates the movement of a hammer 1'7 At the upper part of the gun body is an anvil 13 that is held thereto by two screws 19, and which anvil is adapted to receive a percussion cap 22 to be tired by the hammer 3.7, as later described.

Said trigger 7 is pivotally attached to the gun body by a pin Zl, pivoting at a point above said pivot 14. Within the gun body a chamber 23 is provided, lower than and rearwardly of said barrel, to receive the missile or ball 1, the latter normally remaining in the chamber, with the tail or elastic member 2 stretched to or three lice . times its normal length between the missile and the knob 6. The upper and forward part of said lever 15, bends downwardly and forwardly and extends beyond said chamber 23, thus keeping the missile 1 from rising substantially above the top of the barrel as it moves out of said chamber and forwardly thereof to its target. it should be noted that because this chamber 23 is lower than and rearwardly of the top of the gun barrel 4, the missile does not interfere with the user taking a sight, and also it remains concealed until it is discharged.

in operation, the trigger 7 is pulled rearwardly, which causes the bolt 14 to slide downwardly in the arcuate slot 24, thus rotatively lifting the lever 15. The hammer also moves rearwardly towards the percussion cap 22 on the anvil l3, aided by said spring 16, later explained, thus exploding it. Simultaneously, the missile is drawn out of the chamber 23, since the lever 15 has opened it, and the tension of the rubber tail 2 instantly takes efiect hurling the missile forward a considerable distance. The energy in said spring 16 (under tension) as said lever moves upwardly, moves said ammer l7 forcibly against said anvil 18, exploding the cap.

To prepare for the next shot the missile 1 is placed in the chamber 23, and the rubber tail 2 is stretched until the loop is placed over the knob 6. Said lever is manually returned to normal or closed position. A notch in the trigger catches on said bolt ld, holding it and the lever 15 in normal position until released.

in the event that the user desires to use my gun for shooting the missile only, 2 s in target practice, the hammer and anvil need not function, as the lever actuating mechanism operates in the same manner with or without the parts for exploding a percussion cap.

What I claim is:

A toy gun comprising a gun body and a gun barrel attached thereto, said body having a chamber therein rearwardly of and lower than the top of the gun barrel and open at the top to receive a missile, actuating mechanism pivotmly attached to said gun body embodying a movable lever which normally covers said opening and closes said chamber, a hammer carried by said lever, an anvil adjacent to and normally spaced from said hammer, said lever being pivotally mounted on said gun body and being adapted to rotatively move upward upon actuation to thereby move away from said chamber opening and to move said hammer to said anvil, a trigger movably connected to and adapted to actuate said lever, a coil spring attached to said trigger and to said body at opposite end portions nnd adapted to be placed under tension when said trigger is moved to actuating position, and another coil spring extending between said lever and said body and adapted to be tensioned when said lever is in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,626,892 Tidwell May 3, 1927 1,646,122 Tidwell Oct. 18, 1927 1,955,900 Bixler Apr. 24, 1934 2,221,506 Brandon Nov. 12, 1940 2,455,558 Burton Dec. 7, 1948 

